Tag: Usp nf

The United States Pharmacopeia (USP) officially purchased the National Formulary (NF) on January 2, 1975, consolidating two separate compendia into a single, comprehensive volume for drug standards. This pivotal moment in pharmaceutical history combined the standards for both finished drug products and excipients into one authoritative resource.

The United States Pharmacopeia-National Formulary (USP-NF) provides the official public standards for all prescription and over-the-counter medicines in the United States [1.2.3]. But what is NF quality, and why is it a critical benchmark for safety and efficacy in the pharmaceutical industry?

Excipients, or inactive ingredients, can comprise up to 90% of a medication's formulation [1.6.4, 1.6.6]. This highlights the importance of understanding the standards that govern them, but what's the difference between USP and NF, the two main compendia?